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HP launches SkyRoom collaboration software

HP
has unveiled new collaboration software designed to let dispersed teams
communicate and share information and 3D images.

SkyRoom is billed by HP as a "visual collaboration and conferencing solution
". It has been formally announced today, but was demonstrated to press at an HP
workstation event in Los Angeles last week.

The conferencing system combines the features of HP's
Halo
telepresence technology with its
Remote
Graphics Software (RGS), which lets users access 3D images and rich media
files from a remote desktop or share them with colleagues.

HP said that SkyRoom will work on any system, not just HP technology, and
will require a broadband connection. However, the firm was tight-lipped on
specific technical, availability and pricing details.

Jim Zafarana, vice president of HP's Workstation Global Business Unit, said
that the cost of SkyRoom would be about one per cent of the overall equivalent
cost of travel. He added that it is currently in beta and being tested with key
customers.

Zafarana demonstrated SkyRoom at the event with the help of HP's Worldwide
Workstation Product Marketing director Jeff Wood, who conferenced in from a
remote location. The pair showed how a 3D model on Wood's PC could be shared
with Zafarana, and any changes or movements Wood made to the model would also
appear on the screens of all conference participants.

Speaking at the LA event, Guillaume Jacquemin, chief information officer at
Renault F1, said that SkyRoom could be useful for the motor racing firm as a
means of communication between its UK and French sites.

"It's a real collaboration tool with proper 3D performance, but it's not
quite there yet," he said. "In the second half of this year, we could see a
benefit from this package."

Jacquemin cited the user experience and support for HP's RGS as two areas
that required improvement.